between the working class and those of the super rich and to try and and be accommodating and keep everything but it's the same script it's global austerity forcing the people to pay and and it's rooted in the fact that there's over production that's what it gets down to workers that being a limb unaided as technology increases few and fewer workers are hired and as fewer workers are hired workers themselves are consumers and they can't buy back the products and it's the problem of capitalism the problem of overproduction that's what's behind all of this and all of these mechanisms to try and save it with government programs or government intervention they all can't get to solve the basic problem of overproduction the problem of capitalism so do you see a deal eventually being struck or not i think a deal will be eventually struck i think this is staged this is to get us used to the idea that all of the programs we depend on to survive and the prosperity that we've had for so long it's to get us used to the idea that we have to start giving that up and just start start giving up the good lives we have and that's that's very of brightening that's a frightening normality it's

a frightening president assef that's what they're doing because the u.s. treasury is working its magic isn't it to free up two hundred billion dollars to avoid going above the debt ceiling over a sixteen point four trillion how realistic is that what i think you have to set some technical difficulties but we can thank our guests for joining us on a case ok we can can continue talking about this actually in the business section had to meet she's with us in the studio so this us fiscal cliff to causing trouble as we've heard yes that's exactly what we're talking about as the fourth consecutive day of losses on the u.s. markets just because there's still no deal so we'll look at that in more detail in a couple of minutes when i'm back. as his day starts at five am even earlier in the winter tending to his flock of

story hundred sheep in the mountains and plains of. thirty five years old it wasn't the life he dreamt of having studied accounting but he dition and familial duty dictated that he would take on the care of these animals after his father has just made camp at their winter farm stage setting up his ute judicial to fenian round tent made of diskin. back amongst his family as his job is a lonely one and tough going out in all weathers braving extremes of plus to minus forty degrees celsius just get on with them there are certain difficulties there's not enough time for everything i'm almost alone my sister works with my mother my mother is seventy five she's very old and i miss mountains when i'm in town and of which i spend a lot of time here right now probably so on most of us simply carrying out the work that his father did and his father before him nothing has changed over many many centuries and that's half the problem it's hard work and many people don't want to

come into the industry now and it's really fit there could die out altogether. it's difficult to manage everything alone i used to have people who helped me but they were no good they didn't take care of the sheep with all their hearts they hurt the cattle dogs going on with people leaving them coming to the countryside the region's government is having to act making the life of the herd and more attractive than promising largest subsidies for countries and livestock and organizing cooperatives for the sale of day products to ensure the herd a get the highest fair price i asked sympathizes with those youngsters leaving for an easier more profitable life day in their publics capital because ill but he no longer wishes to join them he enjoys his pastoral way of life and looking for a helper who shares his enthusiasm but more time on his hands he says matter of fact you can start to look for a new wife. wealthy

british style. market why not. gamble why not what's really happening to the global economy with max cons are for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into kaiser report on r.t. . download the official application to yourself choose your language stream quality and enjoy your favorite. if you're away from your television or it just doesn't matter about what your mobile device says you can watch your t.v. any time anyway.

welcome to business r.t. consumer confidence in the largest economy in the world the united states has dropped to its lowest level in four months in december well guess why the fiscal cliff is still there no deal has so far been reached that coupled with the fact yet again that is about to hit the ceiling could lead to dire consequences for the global economy let alone the united states and patrick young says it's time to stop fueling the flames shri get kids and go america owed the world about nine hundred billion dollars now that may sound like a big number but bear in mind at the moment it's borrowing a hundred billion dollars every single month the total debt in america is roughly fifteen trillion dollars i mean that's the sort of amount of money that if you put

the notes and the end you get most of the way towards mars it's an absolutely rigid mind of money and the problem we've got is you've got politicians who are still in never-never land mr obama is wanting to actually exist then the a mind of money that america can manage to borrow it's a bit like giving a drunk more vodka as i've often said and at the same time you've got the republicans who are suddenly wanting to have the local fiscal responsibility from actually having abdicated their own responsibility for many years this is a very very perilous situation now how far do you think in congress still push the debt ceiling up will we see ratings cut again for the u.s. if we do see another hike. oh look i mean in the course of the last well early two thousand and eleven there was about fourteen point three something like that billion dollars they've expanded it by another couple of billion and couple of trillion i'm sorry since then. there is borrowing to be repercussion if america

does not care about its debt how but in order it's the same with any addict and america is addicted to debt the government needs to be under control the united states of america the greatest capitalist economy we've ever seen in the history of the world but unfortunately it's being governed by people who think that government spending is the best way forward and well we've seen enough of collapsed communist regime to understand that central planning just does not work ok when it comes to the fiscal cliff there were about a hidden around four days do you think there's still a chance we will see a deal between the republicans and will that change anything well let's put it this way if there isn't a deal in four days' time it demonstrates the fact that the american political classes have got no idea what their fundamental job is president clinton campaigned well elect and twice on it's the economy stupid not president obama the republican

leaders need to appreciate that right now i they have got ninety six r.'s to say of the freedom of the united states of america because if they go over the fiscal cliff it could be tragically catastrophic for every citizen of the world not just the united states of america which is likely to be instantly plunged into a severe recession patrick young the co-author of the gathering storm. the consumer boom in russia is back in two thousand and twelve russians have been borrowing more than ever now in turn consumer spending has pushed retail sales growth close to double digits domestic factors have become the main driver of russia's growth this year despite harsh economic environment but this may drastically slow down chief economist at renesas capital in russia and c.i.s. car of analyzes the changing environment. you can see a very significant slowdown from the first half of the year towards the second half of the year and i think there are two key that are driving the slowdown number one

the consumption spending that was driving really good performance in the first half has started to slow down a little bit and also the very very strong borrowing by consumers and corporates that existed in the first half of the year all slowing down so i think this is this is what has been driving distance from a very strong performance in the first half of the year to much weaker but still still i think it ought to be robust performance in the second half of the year in particular so when you when you compare russia with the rest of the world do you want to say that the growth here is driven by domestic factors i think definitely domestic drivers because once again as you can see and as you know two thousand and twelve was very challenging global environment we had a much slower growth in china we had a recession in the european union and also very challenging in the u.s. also because of the election try to use the external backdrop was very difficult for russia but this domestic diversion and in particular consumption spending

private consumption spending was was was the main factor that was helping the russian economy achieve i think a very very decent performance doesn't mean that the russian economy is now more immune to the global challenges actually i think so i think that the relative to two thousand and eight the so-called great recession there is much better prepared to deal with with another external shock and there are number of reasons for that number one we have a much more flexible exchange rate so exchange it can serve as a kind of a shock absorber if we were to face another. also the fact that. during the last three four years the russian economy has been able to stand in with q.q. in the back so it doesn't relate the share of short term external debt is much more now with the name so i think you can be also all the way to use the support from russia if workplace on the right and finally i think. the reason that daschle economy relative to two thousand and eight is not overheating in two

thousand and six two thousand and seven the russian economy was overheating and when external shocks hit the russian economy fell from a very high very high place right now we're going on it for four and a half percent rating is much more normal pace of growth so i guess i think that if we were to face another external shock from abroad the russian economy will not slow down that significant alright a signal was happening on the markets the fourth day of losses as i was saying in the united states that jared's nasdaq losing half a percent and he's still at people saying there would be a holiday rally this month i mean how wrong with a consumer confidence is on a four month slow investor uncertainty at a five month high and let me give you an example have actually worked the percentage of people considering buying a new home within the next six months has gone down to just four point eight percent in december it was six point six percent in november that's a very dramatic drop for that for that value now is take a look what's happening in europe it's basically ignoring the cliff today possibly

still high on the christmas celebrations for investors also keying on a well received italian debt auction footsie actually barely up just a notch but it was enough to have any percentage change the dax up a quarter of a percent and all has been indeed easing up after wednesday's spike on supply worries on the middle east now worries about demand should we hit the cliff are coming back in and russia's ruble managed to gain again against the dollar and the euro this is on the back of a lot of factors but mainly basically traders selling out moving into cash and therefore they stick with what's happening in russia it was very quiet in the marketplace focusing more on preparing for the partying and the long holiday break the markets were indeed close after friday to reopen open.

but former colonies between you and us. sort of take a look back on the stories that shaped the past year they are journalists recall during the songes dramatic show or so exclusively on r.t. that's often. in japan the average height for men is one hundred eighty two centimeters in ten centimeters shorter because of that some employers refused to hire me one of them even told me directly that i was too short to deal with the clients computers already spent three months in this hospital and plans to stay for another four to

add the coveted seventy meters to his stature invented by the famed soviet orthopedic of really bizarre if in the nineteen fifties these frames were initially used to treat fractures in deformities by cutting bones and slowly pulling them up or therefore stimulating tissue regeneration it was out of was able to receive arms and legs and people who thought they were crippled for life be sent to the other patients and in many cases their shattered lives in the goal when professing lazard designed his first brain using bicycle parts sixty years later susan validation is increasingly being used to help people who are eager to fracture their legs to become a few centimeters taller than the ultimate goal is still the same six thing somebody is live both literally and figuratively about a third of patients admitted he was out of center now days seeking series three focus medical reasons most of them

a man and most are not what you would call vertically challenged professor novick of who operated on many of them says it usually comes down to a man's pride some of the first patient to turn to us with a leg length quest to meet his fifteen centimeters to still want a surgery because panos tool than he. we like to say that we need to break their legs in order to fix their heads maybe nothing wrong with them from an orthopedic point of view but there is something psychological that prevents them from living their lawyers fully being happy and we fix it like lengthening surgeries a band in many countries and even when i go out they're pretty expensive in russia the entire course costs eleven thousand dollars about one tenth of the similar package in the united states financial considerations were one of the reasons they brought this washington state native to western siberia his main motive for the surgery had to do with how he fared in the others in america average height is one

seventy five i was one sixty seven or one sixty. eight centimeters would have brought me right to average if i just wanted to be average for women height isn't so important you know i think girl can be short and it's not a big deal i think it is like expecting to be taller just before the operation most mad a russian girl who found he's a regional hide quite in dealing yet he still went ahead with the surgery adding seven more centimeters to the self-confidence she told me the whole time you're crazy you're normal you're perfect. for an hour so. what a compliment for somebody who's used to falling short of his own expectations.

ok back here with r.t. france has refused to help the central african republic fight off rebels closing in on its capital president of france on down said paris will protect only its own interests not the regime of the local protesters angry at her lack of action attacked the french embassy where independent journalist robert ha nice says around has failed to give a clear answer that what kind of interests are there. he said that the french army which has a base in central africa and republic was not there to protect a particular regime which must have come as quite a shock to the regime seeing as it was them that gives the french the french permission to have a base there top. and the interests are of course you're right you know there is uranium mining in the east of the country. but basically because of the president and all and stake in this morning i rang the doctor say the french ministry of

foreign affairs and said well if they're not there to protect regime what are they there for a moment may actually get a very clear answer. will be french clearly have an interest in the country but they're not going to take sides in any potential civil war and i don't think france is in the mood for that particular years they have the situation in mali to deal with where they have been very much to the front in saying that something should be done there they're very active in syria i don't think that he wants another situation where the french are militarily involved but they do want stability clearly they have an interest. there that you know if you have your own you are a verb a huge french nuclear company has a owns the mine and that they obviously want it to be to remain an asset to the economic situation is is patchy bangui is it is like a lot of these capital cities major cities in africa is growing fast in population economically to two percent last year which is not

a healthy. and but the rest of the country will exit polling communications to the agricultural situation now going to have to export much. and they're falling into a situation of subsistence agriculture so. it's that's where the discontent seems to be coming from and it's also a country where there is there is a lot of local loyalty to the big town as it spread across the country it's not very difficult to stir up dissidents if that's what you want to do. well russia says the next generation of spacecraft design is ready it's pretty rebranding a new space ship capable of flying to the international space station beyond the way to the. web site. also online a russian family sues a british comedy fracture bentley for failing to live up to its claims of the luxury of two defective claimed the life of one man.

afghanistan says it has lost over seventy million dollars in revenue because companies operating are not paying taxes the country has accused foreign businesses of widespread corruption by using diplomatic and foreign connections to avoid punishment. or activist brownback says president hamid karzai is trying to gain political leverage mongst his own people with withdrawal of foreign forces in twenty fourteen. karzai is caught between a rock and a hard place he owes his very survival i mean in a literal sense to the occupying forces and yet at the same time he realizes that the afghan people deeply resent the foreign occupiers who have been there for more than a decade and so in order to have any credibility especially post two thousand and fourteen the karzai government and his followers must show at least some degree of nationalist credentials in other words some independence from the occupiers to whom they owe their survival so he's on the horns of

a dilemma he cannot really escape i think this allegation against the foreign n.g.o.s for not paying their taxes which is probably true is his attempt to solve his own or save his own reputation for those who deeply resent the foreign occupation the fact of the matter is the occupation of afghanistan like almost all foreign occupation is riddled with corruption by the occupiers and by the elites who are that we sippin of their assistance and does the karzai government really represent the afghan people does it represent working families does it represent the poor farmers i would say absolutely not there is no indication of that whatsoever to the extent that the karzai government is demanding from foreign forces or independent domestic forces any sort of revenue you can you can believe you can gas for sure i would say that much of that money will be treated as loot something that will be the private premise for those who are in power the elite themselves now as twenty twelve draws to

a close we continue to look at the events that shaped it today on these teams recall the launch of judas songes cost exclusively here and we can expand that gave voice to prominent figures show that by the mainstream media when he was still under house arrest a number. it was right on the new year's eve when i went to london to see june to discuss the news so. i'm julian assange. it is true of wiki leaks expose the world secret police documents from the very beginning and became the in high profile show stayed strong with a lot of its as a boss or so we created this web page with big video player and video feeds

containing trailers sneak peeks most shows tend to have a spike and then go down to both mars it's online and you would keep climbing in quite a quite a study about i think believe you did a story this was quite an important piece or the julian assange show gains over a one million visits and views online and believe me or an interesting news show it's kind of an achievement but never before that we had anything like that on t.v. when one person sitting on the house arrest would give voice to quiet quite a few people around the world whose position of the world doesn't fit in the mainstream media picked up. well be more in the us with me carrie johnson in just

a little under ten minutes time you want to to go . something. lies beneath. thousands of meters of ice and rock. that is aloof from men. but dangerous even to those who keep it to distance.

to use it a secret laboratory to mccurdy was able to build a new its most sophisticated robot which on fortunately doesn't give a darn about anything tim's mission to teach the creation why it should care about humans and worry this is why you should care only on the dog.

humus his day starts at five am even earlier in the winter tending to his flock of story hundred sheep in the mountains and pains of. thirty five years old it wasn't the life he dreamt of having studied accounting but he dition unfamiliar dictated

that he would take on the care of these animals off to his father. he's just made camp at their winter farm stead setting up his new it the traditional two fenian round tent made of diskin his beastly back amongst his family and his job is a lonely one and tough going out in all weathers braving extremes of plus to minus forty degrees celsius to start with them there are certain difficulties there's not enough time for everything i'm almost alone my sister works with my mother my mother is seventy five she's very old and i miss mountains when i'm in town i spend a lot of time here right now probably so on the surveys are simply carrying out the work that his father did and his father before him nothing has changed over many many centuries and that's half the problem it's hard work and many people don't want to come into the industry now and it's really fit there could die out altogether. and it's difficult to manage everything alone i used to have people who

helped me but they were no good they didn't take care of the sheep with all their heart they hurt the cats or dogs. with more people leaving than coming to the countryside the region's government is having to act making the life of a herd and more attractive than promising largest subsidies for produce and livestock and organizing cooperatives for the sale of day products to ensure the herd it gets a higher fairer price i asked sympathizes with those youngsters leaving for an easier more profitable life day in the public's capital because ill but he no longer wishes to join them he enjoys his pastoral way of life and looking for a helper who shares his enthusiasm with more time on his hands he says matter of fact he can start to look for a new wife. sigrid laboratory to mccurry.